Garment supporter



Nov. 24, 1931. s. N. COULTER GARMENT SUPPORTER Filed Dec. 31, 1930 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES SAMUEL N. COULTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA GARMENT SUPPORTER Application filed December 31, 1930. Serial No. 505,762.

This invention relates to a garment supporter, and while the invention may be employed in different situations, as a garment supporter, it is intended particularly for use as a hose supporter.

The general object of the invention is to provide a garment supporteriwith a clasp which suspends the upper end of the band of the supporter and constructed in such a way that the tension on the band secures the band on the clasp; also to construct the device so that it can be released by a simple movement of the piece that supports the band. I

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a garment supporter having a clasp which is fiat and does not project outwardly to any considerable distance and also devoid of any projecting operatinglevers or similar parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment supporter having a clasp at each end which is so constructed as to enable the upper clasp to be attached to the supporting garment without the use of sewing, and having a clasp at the lower end which can be attached to the band without theme of sewing; also, to provide a construction for the supporter which will enable the elastic 30 band to be suspended adjustably and without the use of sewing, thereby enabling the elastic band when worn to be readily removed and replaced.

9 In its preferred embodiment, the device includes a pair of pivotally connectedjaws aifd a link or eye supported on the clasp for carrying the elastic band, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide means 40 whereby this supporting link completely con- 'trols the operation of the clasp, cooperating with the tension of the band to hold the band fixed, the parts cooperating so that when the suspending link is moved outwardly and upwardly the band can be released and the clasp also released.

Further objects of the invention will ap pear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel parts 7 and combination of parts to be described of the elastic band being broken away; the

upper part of the View also illustrates a; portion of the lower edge of the upper garment that carries the supporter. I

V Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l but omitting thehose clasp that is shown atthe lower end of F igure 1. r a

In Figure 2, in connection with the upper clasp the supporting link or eye for the band is illustrated in dotted lines position. ,7

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the upper clasp and representing the link-in a positionwhich holds the jaws of the clasp open to enable them to be applied to the lower 7 edge of the supporting garment, and at the same time holds the band in a releasing position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l but showing only the upper part of the garment supporter and illustrating a supporting member of a type which may be sewed to the lower edge of a supporting garment; this view particularly illustrates the clasp for releasably holding the upperend of the elastic band.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrating another embodiment of the invention in which thesupporting link for the elastic band is pivotally attached on the back of the supporting plate instead of the front as in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is avertical section showing the "preferred embodiment for the invention as especially to Figure 1, 1 represents the lower v in its releasing A edge of an upper supporting garment, for example, a girdle or corset. Vhen the device is constructed so as to avoid the necessity for sewing any parts the upper end of the supporter consists of a clasp 2 comprising two jaws 3 and 4 having a pivot or hinge connection on a transverse pivot bar 5. These jaws are preferably in the form of plates which lie close together and one of them, preferably the inner plate 3 (which is disposed toward the body) is provided with an integral hook or bight 6 at its lower end. Below this bight or hook the plate is provided with a downwardly and inwardly projecting tongue 7 which presents an edge 8 that lies substantial y in the vertical central plane passing down through the hinge pin 5. This tongue 7, may if desired, be formed as an integral xtension on the end of the hook or bight 6.

The plate 4 is formed with a tail-lever or tail-plate 9 that extends down into the bight or hook 6 and this tail lever is preferably provided with a transverse rounded shoulder or hump 10. I also provide at this point a link 11 for supporting the band 12 of the device. This band is usually of elastic material. The link 11 is preferably horizontally elongated so as to form a narrow slit or throat between its upper bar 13 and its lower bar 14 that engages the band or strap 12. The upper end of the band or strap 12 has a loop 15 that hangs over the bar 14 and when the tension comes on the band the tension operates to pull the bar 14 outwardly and in the direction of the edge 8, and this operates to pinch the material of the hand against the bar 14 and thereby holds it securely against slipping through the eye when in use.

hen it is desired to adjust the length of the band 12. it is merely necessary to swing the eye or link inwardly at its lower edge as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. As soon as the material of the band becomes removed from the edge 8 the band can be moved freely up or down at the loop to adjust it, and it is merely necessary to let the tension pull the eye back aga nst the tongue 7 in order to secure the band in the adjusted position.

When it is desired to release the clasp 2, the eye or link 11 should be pulled upwardly so that the bar 13 passes the hump or shoulder 10. This permits clearance for the lower end of the taillever 9 and permits the jaws to open up as indicated in Figure 3.

If desired, a small U-shaped spring 16 may be set in the clasp between the plates 3 and 4 to open the jaws when released in this way.

The lower end of the band 12 is provided with a clasp 17 which may be identical in construction with the clasp 2 already described, except that the clasp 17 does not include the extension or tongue 7 (see Figure 2). At this point a supporting eye 18 is provided having any suitable construction adapted to support the lower garment or part to which the clasp is to attach. In the present instance this eye 18 is constructed so as to support a common type of hose clasp 19. However, the eye 18 includes an upper bar 20 which cooperates with the tail-lever 21 of the outer jaw 22 of the lower clasp like the upper bar 13 of the link 11 already described.

The feature of my invention which relates to the clamping or pinching of the upper end of the hand through the operation of the tension in it, may be used if desired without the clasp. For example, if desired, I may employ an upper supporting member (see Figure 4) in the form of a small plate 23 that may be sewed to the lower edge of a girdle 24. The lower edge of this member or plate is formed with a laterally turned edge or jaw 25 and on the side of the plate an elongated link 26 is hinged on two integral eyes 27 formed in the plate.

The upper end of the band 28 is hung in a loop over the lower bar 29 of this eye so that when the tension comes on the band the material of the band will be pinched by the edge 25 against the bar 29.

In Figure 6, I show another embodiment of this feature of the invention in which the link or eye 30 is pivotally attached at 31 on the rear or inner side of the supporting plate 32. This construction necessitates forming a slight offset or bend 33 in the lower portion of the plate so as to form an edge 34 projectingtoward the outer side and in a position to pinch the band 35 against the lower bar of the link 30.

Above the bend 33 the material is offset to form an abrupt shoulder 36 to support the upper bar of the metal link. This upper bar is retained by integral straps 37 struck out of the metal. This form of plate is more readily produced by means of dies than the form shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 7 I illustrate the preferred embodiment of the construction for the upper clasp for performing the function of the de vice shown in Fig. 2. In this form, shown in Fig. 7. I do not extend the lower edge of the plate 38 (corresponding to plate 3), upwardly to form a hook, but I bend it toward the other plate 39 so as to form an abrupt shoulder 40 which is engaged by the upper bar 41 of the elongated eye 42 and beyond this shoulder I bend the material of the plate back to form a return bend 43 with an edge 44 proj ecting inwardly and this edge 44 corresponds to the edge 8 of Fig. 2 and cooperates also with the lower bar of the elongated eye 42 to clamp the material of the strap or band 45, as indicated in Figure 7.

The lower edge of the plate 89 is provided with a rounded or convex shoulder 46, the inner face of which in the locking position illustrated in Fig. 7, projects slightly over the left side of the upper bar 41 as illustrated in Fig. 7. This enables the bar 41 to have a snap action when pulled down against the shoulder. That is to say, when pulled down in this way the rounded shoulder 46 yieldingly holds the bar 41 down against the shoulder. The clasp and band are released in the same way as described in Fig. 2. The plate 38 constructed as illustrated in Fig. 7 is more readily formed by means of dies than the plate 3 with the hook and it performs its functions equally well.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of pivotally connected opposed jaws, one of said aws having a hook formed at the end thereof and the other jaw having a tail-lever extending into the hook, a link having a bar located in the said hook and engaging the said tail-lever to hold the clasp closed, the jaw with the hook also having an extension beyond the hook, and a band extending through the said link and coo perating with me link to clamp the band between the link and the said extension when tension is exerted in the band.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of pivotally connected opposed jaws, one of said aws having a hook formed at the end tiiereoi and the other jaw having a tail-lever extending into the hook, a link having a bar located in the said hook and engaging the said tail-lever to hold the clasp closed, the jaw with the hook also having an extension beyond the hook, and a band extending through the said link and cooperating with the link to clamp the band be tween the link and the said extension when tension is exerted in the band, said tail-lever having a shoulder located above the upper bar of the link when the link is pulled downwardly and yieldingly holding the bar seated in the hook.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a member with means for attaching the sameto an upper garment, a horizontally elongated link pivotally attached on said member and having a lower bar, a band having a loop over the said bar, said first member having an extension below, operating to engage the side of said band and pinch the same against the said bar when tension is exerted in the band.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a clasp having a pair of relatively movable jaws for gripping the lower edge of a garment, a link supported on the clasp at its lower end and having an upper bar, said jaws having means to cooperate with the upper bar when the link is pulled downwardly, to actuate the jaws to grip the garment, said link having a lower bar, a band having a loop hanging over the lower bar, said clasp having an extension cooperating with the said bar when tension is exerted in the band, to grip the band at the loop.

5. In a device of the kind described the combination of a pair of pivoted plates having jaws for grasping a supporting garment, one of said plates having an offset shoulder and the other plate having a tail arm with a convex shoulder, o posite said first named shoulder, and a lin of rigid material having a bar received between said shoulders and holding the jaws of said plates together, said first named plate having an extension at its lower end projecting toward the said link and cooperating with the same to clamp a band passing through the link.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif., this 8th day of December, 1930.

. SAMUEL N. GOULTER. 

